Chapter 12: The Blacksmith of Stars
As Rahmat Ali entered the Lost City of Cobblers, he saw someone he never expected. Sitting by a massive, glowing anvil was an old man who looked exactly like his late grandfather.
"Dadu?" Rahmat whispered, his voice trembling.
The old man looked up and smiled, but his eyes were like swirling galaxies. "I've been waiting for you, Rahmat. The shoes you wear... they weren't just a gift. They were a test. And crossing the Bridge of Whispers was only the beginning."
He handed Rahmat a hammer made of pure light. "In this city, we don't just fix leather. We fix the paths of kings and the steps of heroes. But there is a darkness coming—the Void King wants these shoes to walk between worlds and destroy them."
Rahmat gripped the hammer. For the first time in his life, he didn't feel like a simple cobbler from a small shop. He felt like a guardian.
"What must I do?" Rahmat asked.
"You must craft the Sole of Silence," his grandfather replied. "Only then can you walk into the Void King's castle without being heard."